Elmer fletcher



E. FLETCHER AND R. L. WICKES.

PHONOGRAPH.

APPLICA'HON min MAY 29, 19:8.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER FLETCHER AND ROSCOE L. WICKES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS 'IO FLETCHEBPWICKES 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CQRPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Application filed May 29, 1918. Serial No. 237,190.

To all whom it may concern:

Be i known that we, Emma FLETCHER and Roscoe L. Wzcxns, both citizens 'of'the' United States, and residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonographs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. The invention relates to phonographs. 1

One object of the inventlonis toprovide .an improved tone arm having walls, Wl16I'8-' by the vibration resultant from sound pass ing therethrough, is materially reduced, v having been found in practice that the tone is clearer when gthe .tone a-i'm is constructed to measurably-reduce the 'vibratlon'in'the walls thereof. I a

In practice, ithas been found that the best results fare. obtained by havingihe -need1e exert a,- eertainjipressure upon the' record and'thalt reoord'sofdifiereni; maria.- facture or made by di'fierent processes re-' quire different pressures for the attainment of the best results; To meet this condition, it has heretofore been roposed to apply a spring with aregula le tension," but this has been found unsatisfactory, because of thejmpossibility of ascertaining the degree of pressure resulting froma variation in the adjustment of the spring. Another object of the present invention is tov provide improved means by which the pressure'ofthe needle on. the record may be reliably and definitely varied so that a'certain pressure may be usedfor records of one make and another pressure for other-makes. This object is attained by providing a weight-ring which is capable of adjustment to vary the in d stributing the welght' at both sides'of i the tone-arm fulcrum. Pin 17' extends into pressure of the needleon the record. 1

Another ohject of the invention is to provide an improved rotatable connection bctween the 'tone arm and the sound box, whereby the needle is caused to assume, the same angle relatively to the record, either when the sound box} is in position for the transverse vibration of the needle or when the soundhox is positioned for vertical vibration of theneedlc. i l 1 The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an instrument embodying the The toncmrm comprises a member 19 and PEONOGRAPH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 25, 1919,

invention. Fig. 2 is a plain Fig. 3 isua section. Fig. 4 is u'dctuil section of the adjustable weight-ring. Fig. 5 a section taken-on line 5-5 of Fig.- 3. Fig. 6.-isa section taken on line 6-6 of 1. Fig. *7 is a detail section of the connection tween the tone-arm and the sou-ud'-box. A supportingbourd 8,'which-may be of: any suitublo construct-ion. carries a suitable bearing ring in which thetone arm isr mounted for limited universalfinovementi," so that it may be moved vertically and laterally. Tho bearingring'consistsmf an; annular top member 9' having a flange lap-up p ngand seated on the board Sfand imam- '1 hular lower member 1Q sccured to the meme tees by'scrcws 11. An annulnr'groov e 12 is formed in the bearing-ring-niuFcontains a' ring '13 and three. anti-friction balls 14 are interposed in spaced runways between 7 5' the bea-rlng-r ng and the *collur"12,-sothatthe tone-ar-lnnmybe easily mourn.-

anclbow-slu pcd outlet momhor 1 5 which: has-a spherical portion 16' fitting infli'ei'l h collar 1'2 and pivotu'lhu n necked thereto by two alined pills 17. which are fixed ill the collar 12. A pin liis disposed diui rm-trically opposite to the horizontal inciii he! 1! of thc lone-arm; and the other twb 5 fulcrum 'jn'ns 17, which extend into pivot r holes in nnnnlicr 15. are disposed iinVardli?" of the (Tutor offing, longitudinal axis fo'ff'i outlet uu-mhvr 15 so that the fulcrum; ahmi'tf which the arm swings verr icall;v,is disphsegl in n urdly of 11m router of the outlet mern her. If desired, the outer portion 15 "o Inemhor 15 is weighted or thickened to fiid' l inn l a. vertical slot 15 in' member 15 and servoj l as a stop to limit the vertical swinging v the cnlire tone-arm. The en ire collar 1"! is rotatable horizontallywith the tonc-nrnifj and the urn: may he shifted vertically about-fret its fulcrum (pins ITL 'clntivoIy to the col lar 12. This construction cxmnplifies" one; in which the fulcrum, about which the ton' ef arm may he swung vertically. is disposed inwardly of the center of thcoutlct member; 115'!) so that the weight of a considerable portion of the outlet member will be disposed on the outside of the fulcrum so as to assist in countcrlmlnncing the weight of the sound box and horizontal member of the tone arm.

A ring 23 is rotatably held around the lower portion of the outlet member of the tone-arm, a shoulder. 24 being formed on said member to rotatably support this ring. This ring comprises a solid portion 25 and a hollow portion 26. A pin 27 on the member 15 serves as a stop for limiting the rotation of the ring, so that the solid or weighted portion may be adjusted into position under the tone arm or to a diametrically opposits position. The purpose of this construction of ring is to provide an adplstable counterweight whereby the proportion of weight on the opposite sides of the supporting axis of the tone arm may be varied to correspondingly vary the pressure of the needle on'the record. A slot 28 is formed in the ring 23 so that it can be placed in osition on and removed from the tone arm. I n practice, shift of the rin from the position shown in Fig. 4, to a iametrically opposite position, is usually sullicient to adapt the structure for different types of machines.

The horizontal member 19 is removably secured to the outlet or elbow member 15 by an interlocking or bayonet catch 20, which may be of usual construction, so that the tone arm may be removed and replaced, and if desired one of different len b may be substitu In cross-section, t e members 19 and 15 of the tone-arm are approximately polygonal and. the surrounding walls are thicker at the ridges, as shown at 21, than at the intermediate portions 22, so that, in efl'ect, the surrounding wall is made up of ion itudinal portions varying in thickness and this, in practice, has been found to materially reduce vibration in the walls by reason of the greater relative rigidity of the thicker portions. This construction exemplifies one in which the vibration of the walls of the tone arm is reduced in form ing the walls with longitudinally reinforced or thickened portions.

In practice, it is customary to provide a pivotal connection between the tone arm and the sound box, whereby the latter may be shifted from a vertical sition with the needle vibratin transverse y to an inclined osition with t e needle positioned to virate vertically, to adapt the machine for playing different records. It is desirable to maintain the same angle approximately between the needle and the record during either position of the soundbox. A tubular connecting member 28' has a hollow stem 29 which is rotatably held in the outer end tween the support an asaaeeo and laterally to one side of the tone-arm,

and is then rcversely curved, as at 37, to open laterally into the outlet 32 in one side 0 the sound box disposed at the other side of the arm, the bend 36 being, as at 40, indirect or curved below a irect line from the end of member 19 to the axis of the 'sound box outlet, as shown in the drawings.

The needle 33 and 'its support may be'of any suitable construction, as well understood in the art? This peculiar form of bend in the connecting member between the tone-arm and the sound box avoids sharp turns in the sound passage and causes the sound box when swung from one side of the center of the tone-arm to the same distance at the other side of the center, to be located in such a position that the anfile of the needle, relatively to the record, wi be substantially the same and correct in either of its positions. I

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a phonograph, the combination of a support a tone arm, a pivotal connection between the support and the tone arm, and a weight mounted to rotate around the tonearm to vary the pressure of the needle on the record.

2. In a phonograph, the combination of a support, a tone arm, a ivotal connection bethe tone arm, and a weight-ring mounted on the tone arm and rotatable around it to vary the pressure of the needle on the record. I r

3. In a phonograph, the combirugtion of a tone arm, -a support, and a piwdfilfconnection between the tone arm and the support, the walls of the tone arm having longitudi nal portions of difi'crent thickness to reduce the vibration thereof.

ELMER FLETCHER. ROSCOE L. WICKES.

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